Basque tales
Here are various tales Basque : les astronomes d’espagne, le dragon des Arbailles, Mari et le séminariste
Astronomers from Spain
There were two of them, the first in the world, to hear them, and they came to France to take advantage of their knowledge. While waiting for fortune, they went on foot, in short days, at little expense. Coming out of the mountains, the night surprised them in a poor village, where there had never been any question of an inn, or even a cabaret. The two astronomers knocked on the door of the first small house, inhabited by a single old woman, which they begged to put up for that night.
"" Willingly, gentlemen, "said the old woman," the garret is large enough for you two, and if you share my supper, what more can you ask for? But what brings you to us where not a stranger has stopped for twenty years? And who are you?
– » Nous sommes deux astronomes, les plus habiles qu’il y ait en Spain.
- " I have no doubt about it ; but what are astronomers?
- "Scientists who know everything that happens in heaven and predict, by looking at the sky, what must happen on earth.
- "Do you see that? So you could tell if the weather will be nice tomorrow? Because I have to harvest a square of potatoes, and it is not pleasant during the rain ”.
The two astronomers looked up to the sky and saw no clouds or mists, only bright stars. Then, having consulted each other:
- "My good lady, we can tell you dry and hot weather for tomorrow," said the astronomers. The good woman shook her head:
"I fear the contrary," she said; my donkey has rolled five or six times on the dust, and when this whim takes hold of it, the rain always comes ”.
After thus giving her opinion, the old lady lit a lamp and led her guests into the garret. Everyone was soon asleep. In the middle of the night one of the astronomers gets up and goes down to the street. It rained a lot.
- "Comrade," he said to the other, "let's get out of the way as soon as possible. We forecast the weather badly, and the donkey was right. Let’s escape the mockery of our hostess. There is nothing to be gained for us in France if the donkeys are smarter there than the astronomers in Spain.
The dragon of Arbailles
Near Ahuski is the cave of Azalegi. Formerly the "herensuge" lived there. It was a serpent with seven heads. With his breath he sucked up the mountain cattle and ate them.
The son of a count of Zaro, of Alzay, killed him.
He skinned a young bull and filled his skin with powder and matches. He sewed it up, took a horse and walked with that skin to the upper part of the cave. And there began to whistle. Then, when he realized that Herensuge was starting to shake and move, he threw the skin away. The snake sucked in the skin with its breath and swallowed it.
The count then turned back. And he saw Herensuge in flame flying through the air towards the sea. Passing over a wood, the latter mowed the tops of the beeches. The count died of fear. Herensuge never reappeared.
Husband and the seminarian
One day a young girl, Mari, was a shepherdess in Intzezelai. Young seminarians saw her as they came from Guipuzcoa and were heading towards San Miguel.
As they returned home, one of them said he did not want to become a priest and he went up to Intzezelai to keep Mari company.
As they both tended the sheep, it thundered. They took refuge under a leafy beech tree in Intzezelai. It was then that lightning fell on them and they died.
Since that time this beech has been called Pagomari (beech tree).
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